You may have reckon purchase a smart phone or hand-held personal organiser that work Microsoft ’s Windows Mobile operating organization , but as a Mac user , you ’re unable to synchronize data point to your data processor out of the box . fortuitously , you do n’t require to wait for Microsoft to bestow compatibility upon the machine .

The Missing Sync for Windows Mobile 3.0 , from Mark / Space , provide all the tools you involve to transfer your personal data point . When you plug in a gadget via USB , or connect from the gadget using Bluetooth or Wi - Fi ( if support by the twist ) , The Missing Sync launches and establishes an active connection .

I reviewed version 2.5.1 ( ) in short before this up-to-the-minute version shipped , and although the essence synchronization features worked fine , I chance problems with the software ’s handling of medicine iniTunes ( ) . In adaptation 3.0 , Mark / Space has throw out its old iTunes plug - in model and replace it with an iLife - like configurations pane that permit you choose which playlist you require to copy to the twist . In my examination , I had no problems transfer music files ( though song purchased through the iTunes Store are not sustain by the Windows Media Player software included on the Treo 700w I used for examination ) .

sync image with iPhoto ( ) takes a like approach shot , enable you to choose which photo albums to export to the equipment . It also successfully spell picture and video captured by the phone ’s build - in camera into iPhoto on your Mac . Also unlike the previous variation , you do n’t need to mount the gadget as a volume on your background in guild to sync medicine or video recording , which get rid of an annoying step .

This variant also bring synchronization with Bare Bones Software ’s Yojimbo 1.3 personal data utility , and that play well in my examination .

I ran into one bug with rendering 3.0 using the Back Up My Documents statement , which write a written matter of the twist ’s My Documents folder to your hard drive as a .tar archive . The feature article sometimes fail if iTunes syncing was enabled . The developer is cognisant of this take and plans to fix it in a succeeding update . The only other downside is that The Missing Sync for Windows Mobile support install program only in Windows cabinet file data format ( .cab ) , but not programs wrapped in .exe files that are also offered online .

Macworld’s buying advice

Mark / Space has iron out the most bothersome job of the previous adaptation of The Missing Sync for Windows Mobile , create a utility that ’s invaluable if you want to synchronise your data with a Windows Mobile gimmick .

[ Jeff Carlson is wangle editor ofTidBITSand a editorialist for theSeattle Times . ]